Can bank



Oct. 15, 1940. v J. R. McGEE 2,218,431

CAN BANK Filed Feb. 15, 1940 Patented oct. 15, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

ton to provide a can bank of simple construction which may be economically manufactured and sold and including a coin conduit or passage having means whereby it may be readily connected to a can and secured in engagement therewith with oneend extending into the can for the passage of coins therethrough.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for preventing removal of the coin passage from the can or removal of coins from the can through said passage.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide a yieldable abutment member carried by one end of the coin passage for retaining the passage in extended position relatively to the can and which is adapted to be formed in a number of novel ornamental configurations and designs for simulating a human face or head or other figures.

Still another advantage of theinvention is to provide a coin bank capable of being employed as an advertising medium by the use of labels or other indicia on the outer side of the body of the can, forming a part of the bank. :L.) Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and

wherein: y

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the bank,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary central vertical sectional view of the same,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig- -i1l ure 2,

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a similar View taken substantially along the plane of the line 55 of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different 3) views, ludesignates generally a coin bank con- J structed in accordance with the invention and including a can ll having an end wall H in which is formed a slot 13, for a purpose which will hereinafter be described. The can ll may :35 be of any desired shape or size and the slot I 3 may be formed in either end thereof or in the side wall of the can.

A conduit l4, having an elongated slotted passage for the passage of coins, is provided with a flange H5 at one end thereof to which is secured a resilient member I6, of sponge rubber or other suitable material, and of any desired shape. Member 16 encloses a substantial portion of the conduit l4 and may be shaped and sized, as illustrated in Figure 1, to simulate a human face or any other figure.

A pair of spring fingers I! and I8 are secured to or formed integral with the opposite end of the conduit I4, on opposite sides thereof and project therefrom in substantially parallel relationship. Spring fingers I1 and i8 are turned outwardly and back uponthemselves intermediate of their ends with their free ends 19 flared outwardly and engaging against the resilient member I6. As best seen in Figure 3, spring finger l8 extends slightly beyond the point at which the spring finger I1 is turned back upon itself and to this extended portion is secured an abutment 2D, the upper surface of which engages against the looped end of the finger IT.

From the foregoing it will be obvious, that the turned back ends of the fingers I1 and 18 may be inserted through the slot l3 by compressing the turned back portions of the fingers relatively to .each other and inserting the abutment 20 through the slot l3 after which the exposed end of the conduit 14 is pushed inwardly of the can II and through the slot l3 thereby causing the flared ends 19 of the spring fingers H and 18 to be retracted for passage through the slot l3. The resilient member IE will engage the end [2 of the can H to be compressed thereby and retracted relatively to the conduit l4 so that the flared ends l9 may be inserted entirely through the slot 13 and released to spring outwardly, to the position as seen in Figure 3. When the inward pressure on the opposite end of the conduit 14 is then released the resilient member IE will expand to move the conduit 14 outwardly of the can It to draw the ends l9 into engagement with the inner side of the end I2 of the can II to thereby effectively secure the conduit [4 to the can to prevent it from being detached without destroying thev can. Coins, of different denominations, as governed by the size of the passage of the conduit l4, may then be dropped through said passage, downwardly between the fingers l1 and I8 andiagainst the abutment 20 which will cause the coin to be directed laterally into the can ll t rough either of the spaces 2 1, between the lower end of the conduit l4 and the abutment 20. The resilient element It is provided with an enlarged opening 22 at its top surrounding the upper end of the passage of the conduit H to permit coins to be readily inserted therethrough.

It will be obvious that while the abutment 20 will not prevent coins from entering the can II, it will prevent a knife blade or other thin strip from being inserted through the conduit [4 and into the can II for engaging and removing coins therefrom so that coins once deposited in the bank l cannot be removed without destroying the can II. This can be done when the can is filled after which the conduit l4, and the parts carried thereby, can be mounted on another can after a slot I3 has been formed therein.

Various changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to and the right is reserved to make such variations and changes as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the class described comprising an elongated coin passage, a resilient member secured to one end of said passage, resilient arms formed integral with and projecting from the opposite end of said passage, said arms being turned back upon themselves, the free ends of said arms being flared outwardly, and said arms and the last mentioned end of said coin passage being insertable through a slot in a can, said outwardly fiared ends forming locking means for engaging the inner side of the can, and said resilient element forming means for urging the coin passage outwardly of the can to co-act with said outwardly flared ends to efi'ectively secure the passage relatively to the can.

2. A device as in claim 1, comprising an abutment disposed between said arms, in line with and remotely to said coin passage to prevent a blade from being inserted into the can for removing coins therefrom.

3. In combination with a can provided with a' slot, a conduit having a slotted passage for the passage of coins, arms projecting from one end of said conduit, said arms having turned back portions provided with outwardly flared free ends, said arms and the aforementined end of said conduit being insertable through said slot, said arms being expansible for engaging the inner side of the can to prevent removal of the conduit, and abutment means on the opposite end of said conduit for engaging the outer side of the can.

4. A device as in claim 3, said abutment means being compressible for urging the conduit outwardly of the can.

5. A device as in claim 3, comprising an abutment member disposed between said arms, in alinement with and remotely to said conduit to prevent the insertion of a blade into the can through the conduit.

6. In combination with a can having a slot formed therein, a conduit having a slotted passage for the passage of coins therethrough, one end of said conduit being insertable through said slot, spring fingers secured 'to said end for engaging the inner side of the can to prevent removal of the conduit, and a resilient member carried by the opposite end of the conduit for engaging the outer side of the can for retaining the conduit in extended position relatively to the can.

JOHN R. McGEE. 

